Ignite Your Research Mojo: How You Can Make User Research Impactful

Why do so many companies' research projects fail? And why do even the best corporations sometimes struggle to make good use of their research data? Strangely enough, no text on user research has tackled these questions-until now. Ignite Your Research Mojo is the first book designed expressly to focus on the factors that can spell success or failure when researching end user needs and behaviors. It was written for professionals of all experience levels seeking to contribute work that is actually used. Beginning with a section geared to anyone who wants to do good research, the book tackles fundamental questions such as why you should do user research (even though Steve Jobs probably didn't) and how to formulate hypotheses. The second section addresses how to be an effective researcher, including recognizing and avoiding bad research, incorporating the power of emotions in product design, and eschewing "fun" deliverables that make your product team cry. The final section focuses on factors that make for successful (or unsuccessful) user research, including company culture, team organization, interpersonal abilities, and product-development philosophies. With its laid-back, humorous authorial style and whimsical illustrations, Ignite Your Research Mojo breathes fresh air into the world of professional development.